I wrote a post on tapas in Iposa (at nighttime) about 5 years ago. It’s a small restaurant bar just behind the Boqueria, with a decent chef and menu, plus exceptionally charming staff. One evening, a few years ago, after visiting the Cavatast in Sant Sadurni, we stopped at Iposa for a glass of rosado on the way home. Our friendly waitress suggested that we buy a bottle, to save money, rather than a glass each, knowing that one is never enough. Oli asked what would happen to the bottle if we didn’t finish and our hostess said she’d get us a cork so we could take it home. We were sold and drank the bottle plus another glass each!
Iposa’s menú del dia is a formula neatly displayed on a blackboard outside. It works like this – you get soup for the first course, followed by two tapas (left) or one of the chef’s specials (right) for €9 including bread, a glass of wine or beer and a coffee.
The soup was thick vegetable and I almost thought chicken, but in actual fact it contained lots of sage, which I normally put inside a roast chicken and therefore associate the two flavours.
The tartar de buey (steak tartar) is excellent here – I’ve had it before. The tartar comes with a salad and lots of mustard, plus even more bread, which is from a good bakery. I’m with Anthony Bourdain, who believes in giving customers decent bread and not being mean about it – it makes us come back!
I had a second glass of the excellent local house rosado from the Penedès. If I remember correctly it cost an additional €2, which is very reasonable.
The addition of brandy to my coffee (a carajillo, to toast Amanda) was on the house.
I sat at a barrel – left in the top photograph. There are three additional tables outside and opposite the restaurant. Inside there’s seating for about 30 people. We come here a lot and recommend it without reservation.
Iposa is at: C/ Floristes de la Rambla 14, 08001 Barcelona
Sadly, Iposa closed at the end of June 2019.
Beautiful food and wine and I am wondering about your sage in the roast chicken – is this with the bread and balsamic, maybe a little fatty bacon? One day if you have time you can post your roast chicken – i have LOTS of sage! c
Hi Cecilia – here’s roast cockerel from a few years ago: https://maddogtvdinners.wordpress.com/2011/06/14/roast-cockerel/
I make a lot of stock from tired vegetables and bones and I like to add sage to that too. Then that gets used in the gravy. One of the best sage recipes I’ve ever eaten is calf’s liver a la salvia, where the fry the liver with lots of sage leaves.
Thanks for the toast, MD! Ill take a carajillo any day. You’re building such a precious guide to Spain. That wine and the tartar de buey are right up my alley. I agree with bourdaine too. Bring on the bread. And get me back to Barcelona! Salud, MD! All the best.
Thanks Amanda. I’m doing prawns with chorizo, baby sea bass, quail, tiny new potatoes from La Canarias and oysters for 10 people today on the terrace. It looks like the weather is going to be lovely. We’ll have to go out for carajillos afterwards.
That sounds so great! I wish I could be there!
Maybe one day…
It all went very well and I’ve just finished with the dishes and trash!
…and of course I cooked the last half dozen giant prawns, waiting in the wings, with some chorizo, garlic and pimentón, for myself 😉
So great :))
I agree with Anthony as well. Although I do not eat much bread, my husband makes up for me there, I like it to be really good and fresh and crusty and chewy – yum!
Hi Nadia, me too! Crust and texture are very important.
Hope you did sleep well whilst we were ‘chattering’!! Another for the books, OK, am totally unfair but give me a real, fresh steak tartare well and expertly mixed and I am yours forever!! [No comment 🙂 !]
Ha ha – thanks Eha!
And I’m so in agreement about the bread!
We’ve had excellent bread today, even on Sunday. Oli picked up half a dozen loaves from the good Sunday baker!
Ideal….love it
Thanks Roger!
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